Chapter Text
By the time the clock strikes 4 and the sky is a harmonious palette of rose, coral and subtle violet, the pandemonium of students making haste to barge out of the campus to loiter around convenience stores in the neighbourhood, escape the sub-urban to hang out in flashy karaokes or simply saunter home with their friends. A few other ardent ones stay to rejoice in the fun and games in the schoolground or endeavour to mitigate the workload of their fellow club members. The rest stay for various causes, but the two individuals sitting in a desk stacked with towers of documents that seem like they could be subjected to gravity any second now, by no means sojourn for a voluntary one.
“There’s no way these could be read and signed in one night.”
The one with messy violet hair and a perpetual grimace is the first to stand up before tyranny. Though, the young man standing on the other end of the room doesn’t bat an eye to the indignation directed at him as he fixes the collar of his blazer, right hand on the doorknob indicating he will take his leave soon.
“You could have finished the job with those 7 seconds you just wasted to complain, Douman.”
The addressee, Douman, isn’t deterred from settling a bargain.
“This is ridiculous. Even if I’m a member of the Student Council, I’m also a student. I have the right to allocate my time to other activities like studying for exams and simply spending my leisure time.”
The mischief gleaming in the other party’s scarlet eyes speaks more loudly than his calm inflection.
“With a GPA not once reaching maximum, I doubt studying is such an urgent matter to you. Are you slacking off or your determination scarcely accounts for anything?”
Douman deepens his scowl at the mockery but doesn’t retort. His words hardly weigh anything if he can’t best that insufferable demon mantling human skin while said individual fishes out a piece of paper from his bag and holds out for the tetchy young man to see.
“Oh, and your so called ‘leisure time’, I wonder what you spend it on?”
Douman huffs out in contempt, but as curiosity gradually nips away his obstinacy, he allows his eyes to travel. The reaction is immediate.
“You! Where did you get that photo?”
The addressee is unbothered before other profanities thrown at him, stashing the photo to where it belongs, exhibiting no more than a generic amiable smile, “Well, I’m counting on you, Suzaku.”
“Hey, don’t you ignore me!” Douman barks but the other teen already vanishes behind the closed door, leaving him fuming with rage.
After abiding by selective reticence, the one sitting languidly by Douman’s side finally lets his presence be known.
“Acchan, I’m no mother of yours but it’s ill-advised to go to the Pa in broad daylight without a disguise and put up a fight with Seimei.”
“That guy pisses me off!”
“I can tell.”
The raven-haired teen says noncommittally, has long made peace with being an undisturbed bystander to quarrels and an unconditional drudge to the one who just blissfully flees the scene, proceeding his taxing job of wading through documents. Douman sighs exasperatedly, realizing no avail would come from throwing a tantrum at insentient heaps of paper and the previous appearance that is now no more than a phantasmagoria. Thus, snatches a file and begins his task.
He decides that he doesn’t like the awkward silence one bit, striking up a conversation.
“You seem quite content groveling at Seimei’s shoes.”
The other party replies, his tone bears no acrimony, “It’s not contentment, it’s impotence.”
“That’s why you work for that guy?”
“I wouldn’t say so.”
“Then why on earth would you tolerate that bastard, Ranmaru-san?”
History is a bore but Ranmaru guesses he can indulge in small talk for a while.
“Joined the Student Council with the sole aim of embezzling the fund but got caught red-handed in the act, later found out that there was nothing in the safe. I fell right into his ruse.”
“Not the first and won’t be the last,” Douman comments dryly.
Ranmaru hums in agreement, “But that is only partial. I have known the guy since grade school and he was the biggest menace even back then. It’s gospel that no one in their right mind should make an enemy of Seimei.”
“Still, someone should stand up to him.”
“That guy doesn’t need to move a finger for your rebellious phase to be quelled.”
Douman knows the raven-haired teen is speaking from experience and he too, can attest with experiences of his own.
As far as he is indoctrinated by the incessant sycophancy from every other student of Hyakki Academy, Abe Seimei is consummate to a fault. He’s like the Gary Stu of high school with transcendent physical symmetry, top-notch academic performance, perfect personality although Douman would beg to differ, not filthily rich but of respectable societal stratum. He’s the firstborn son a Shinto priest but he possesses the deliberation of a boss of yakuzas. To put it simply, this unimaginably impeccable young man has no flaw to extort, if one is brazen and stupid enough to think about doing so.
The duo perks up from their seats when they hear a knock.
“Come in, please.”
At Douman’s permission, the newcomer steps inside with a distinctive meekness that bewrays his identity.
“Hello, Douman-senpai, Troupe Captain.”
Actually, Seimei does have a weakness.
“Haruaki-kun, what is it?”
The wisteria-haired teen doesn’t know if his underclassman is in a good mood or he’s an easily pleased creature that the boy beams at them as naturally as breathing, handing Ranmaru the reasons for his arrival.
“Ame told me to give you the prints so I dropped by.”
“Thanks, Haruaki-kun.”
Douman quickly notices two things. Firstly, despite sharing the same blood as well as visage, Haruaki smiles like he’s the remedy for all agony and sufferings of the world while Seimei smiles like he is the very cause of said agony and sufferings of the world. Secondly, Haruaki has smoothly set on the table some incongruities that Douman can’t help but point out.
“Are those candies?”
The boy sheepishly explains his intentions, “I hope you don’t find them unwanted. I heard that you guys are going to work late at night, so um, I thought you could use some energy boost, sugar rush and all.”
“You are too kind,” Ranmaru expresses his gratitude.
“It’s the minimum I can do.” The younger bows, signifying his leave, “As much as I’d love to stay, Ame and Anii are waiting for me.” There’s a hint of guilt in those lustrous rubious eyes but Ranmaru plays the part of a reliable upperclassman.
“It’s fine. No need to worry your pretty little head over us. See you tomorrow.”
Quietude returns when the door clicks close and the buoyant first-year exits the room. After a few moments of living in the tedium of listening to the clock ticking by and distant hollering of some lively souls still enjoying their youth in the precinct, Douman initiates again.
“I have an idea.”
“Is it a good or bad one?
“A diabolical one.”
“Then don’t say it,” Ranmaru tries to steer them away from troubles and their irreversible consequences preemptively but his peer is hardly discouraged.
“You haven’t heard a word.”
“Curiosity killed the cat.”
“And satisfaction brought it back,” Douman quips eloquently.
“Fine. What do you have?”
The violet-haired teen harrumphs as if announcing a state secret, “Aside from being supermundane, Seimei is unequivocally a doting big brother. It might seem like a negligible feature of him but with a different perspective, it can be a weakness.”
The information sinks in as soon as it’s revealed. Ranmaru straightens his posture, slowly turning his head to the one on his left for widening eyes and pallid face be the clearest evidence to his horror.
“You have a death wish.”
Douman knows it’s not a question but an accusation. He proceeds anyway.
“That guy is making us do all the work for the Student Council so he can be that upstanding eldest son who fulfills his school duty early to prepare an ideal family dinner and supervise his precious little angel’s studyings. No harsh feelings towards Haruaki-kun but there are towards that eldritch sibling of his. How about we wipe that arrogance off of his face through his baby brother?”
Ranmaru considers his place of burial but dares to pry, “And what are you planning to do with Haruaki-kun?”
“Seimei is a possessive, overprotective, and obsessive brocon. I think you can imagine the rest.”
Cremated then scattered in the mountains and specifically not by that guy would be nice, Ranmaru concludes.
“You do have a death wish. It’s just hearsay but there once was a dude who stood an inch too close and a word too brusque to his kid brother. Ever since, the dude is unheard of.”
Douman snorts, being too old to quail at ghost stories. Nevertheless, he doesn’t take the scenario of incurring Seimei’s wrath lightly.
“Relax. Our demise can only be secured given that we are the one who are openly intimate with the little bro. What about the other way around?”
“Haruaki-kun being infatuated with us?”
“Yeah.”
“You are kidding.”
“I don’t see why it’s impossible. Don’t the girls always throw themselves at us? Haruaki-kun is a boy so it might be a tad more difficult but the way he considerately offers us confectionery tells me that there are chances,” Douman is unwavering before his friend’s look of disbelief.
Ranmaru can only sigh tiredly, thinking of a way to instill in his friend’s thick skull the prospect of them being boiled in a scalding cauldron in the bottommost level of Hell after.
“I’m not saying it’s unfeasible. It’s just… it’s Haruaki-kun, ya know? Anyone who knows him personally and remains loyal despite his reputation of being very enraptured with sailor uniforms would swear to the heavens to never upset him.”
Much unlike his big brother whose face is eerily identical to his but carries criminally authoritarian aura, Abe Haruaki is the typical sweet youngest child that any standard family would love to have. The kid is mild-tempered and riant. Other than that, Douman hardly gathers a smatter of data more about his underclassman regarding the tight security around him, namely his two older siblings. Though, Karasuma Ranmaru has known the Abes for quite some time, he might have good reasons to defend Haruaki.
“Is he really that lovable?” He wonders aloud, half looking for a real answer.
“Quite.”
Douman mulls over his scheme for minutes more and says.
“All the more worthwhile to approach him.”
“Acchan, you are the worst!”
Douman responds with nonchalance to the other's dismay, “Like I said, it won’t hurt if he’s the one who is head over heels for us. How could Seimei be so cruel as to prohibit his baby brother from desiring love?”
The pen in his hand ceases as Ranmaru raises a brow at his peer, temporarily thrown off balance due to the scandalous strategy they are discussing.
“Wait, hold on. What do you mean by ‘us’?”
The other party has been expecting the question for a while. He smirks, pursuing his friend’s endorsement.
“Haruaki-kun falling for me alone would be a bore, don’t you agree? Graduation is next Spring and we have done barely anything memorable thanks to Seimei pawning off his responsibilities on us. Besides, I believe you are adequately competent to take on a challenge.”
Ranmaru blinks before narrowing his eyes doubtfully.
“You are killing two birds with one stone.”
Douman admits.
“Guilty as charged.”
The raven-haired teen scratches the back of his head, leaning on his chair lazily. He instinctively glances at the lurid candies placed on his desk, pursing his lips into a thin line then asks.
“Whoever gets him to confess first wins?”
“Correct.”
“And what then? Going out with him?”
Douman shrugs, “If you are philanthropic enough.”
“Call me sentimental but it’s not a necessity to break Haruaki-kun’s heart, right? The kid is innocent.”
“No, not entirely. We just need to nettle his cocky big brother, putting on a pretense of honest suitors until graduation. Pray he’s a simpleton who doesn’t dwell on the past. If he isn’t, anyone should experience a puppy crush in their high school years.” Douman adds for good measure, “And, doesn’t he hardly have a friend?”
“That’s exceedingly low, even for you, Acchan,” Ranmaru warns, pitying the poor kid even just a little.
“Come on, we are doing him a favour. He could use some company.”
Despite his conscience fulminating against the Douman’s suggestion and his own indifference, Ranmaru would be lying if he says he isn’t a mite unconcerned. He’s bored out of his mind; plus, it has been a while since he feels the thrill of committing something nefarious kindles inside him and sadly, he has all the intention to keep it burning.
“So, you are asking me if I’m the kind of despicable scoundrel who would hoodwink the most seraphic, most cherished by gods and men sweetheart into falling in love with him, just to remorselessly ditch said sweetheart right after in the name of dishonouring and enraging his evil big brother, conveniently defeating his opponent if he were to win?”
“Are you?”
Ranmaru flashes his accomplice a nasty grin.
“That I am.”